We'll Turn it Around
by Touloucifer
Summary: Looking back on his life, Yuuri Katsuki couldn't be happier. He had over come his fears, won the Grand Prix Finals, met and fell in love with his idol, and lived a long and loving life. But one day he mysteriously wakes up in a place he never thought that he'd see again and in a world where none of this has happened... yet.
1. Awakening

**December of 2056:**

Yuri walked in silence as he strolled down the street with his husband. It was the 40th anniversary of him winning the Grand Prix Final and Viktor had decided to take a stroll to the ninja castle in celebration. It was amazing to think of everything that had happened since the competition. Immediately after taking gold, wedding bells were ringing for Viktor and Yuuri. They decided to have an intimate wedding on Hasetsu Beach and invited only close friends and family. Even "King" JJ attended, although he was more focused on bragging about his own engagement than celebrating another.

Soon after, Viktor and Yuuri began teaching beginner skating. Given that it was biologically impossible for the two to have children, this was one alternative. The couple enjoyed watching their students learn and grow, and treated them like their own. They would attend every competition and would always cheer their pupils on. It was without a doubt that skating remained a very important aspect of their lives.

However eventually the men grew old and although their passion of skating would always exist, their bodies physically could no longer handle the strain of the sport. Though they both knew that as long as they had each other they would always be happy.

Stopping abruptly on the icy sidewalk, Viktor turned to his husband and asked, "What's on your mind my little piggy?"

Blushing from the pet name, Yuuri responded, "It's just crazy to think about everything we've done in the past 40 years," tilting his head back to watch as tiny snow flakes fall from the sky, "So much time has gone by-"

"-and I've loved every second of it," Viktor interrupts, taking Yuuri's hand and lightly squeezing it. "Our adventure isn't quite over yet my love."

"You're right..." Yuri says as he brings Viktor's own hand up to his lips to kiss his wedding ring from beneath his gloves. "We should start heading back, it's getting chilly."

"If you say so, though my home is much colder," Viktor winks causing Yuuri to blush even harder.

With their hands still locked together, the duo turned around and started to walk back home. After the death of Yuuri's parents, they had inherited Yu-topia and enjoyed living there with their standard poodle Eros, or Erochan, and spending long hours in the warm baths. In only a matter of seconds, the snow had begun to fall down harder, encouraging the couple to quicken their pace. It had been alternating between snowing and raining for a whole week now, resulting in a dirty slush to pile up on the sides of the road and ice to form on streets.

Suddenly, a loud screeching noise was heard from behind the couple. An oncoming car which had slipped on a patch of black ice and was now barreling straight towards them. Yuuri turned around just in time to realize what was happening and launched himself towards Viktor, protecting him. As if in slow motion, there was a loud bang, then Yuuri's world turned white.

 **Some time later:**

 _*beep, beep, beep, beep, beep*_

"Ugh..." Yuuri moaned as he shifted in his sleep.

"Wha...What is that?" Instinctually and with his eyes still closed, he turned over on his side and reached out for his husband's body, only to find empty and cold sheets. 'Maybe Vicchan is already up and surprising me with breakfast.'

Reaching over for his glasses, Yuuri shoved them onto the bridge of his nose and the room came into focus. The alarm was still going off when there came a loud banging on his bedroom door and a young yet familiar voice was saying, "Yuuri! Get up! You still need to pack for the airport!"

Shocked and hesitant, Yuuri replied, "...C-coming!" then heard footsteps walking away as an indication of the person leaving.

Yuuri then hit the snooze button on the alarm and sat up on the bed, the blankets pooling around his waist. Shaking, Yuuri brings up a hand to his face. 'My skin shouldn't be this soft... my voice shouldn't sound so young... this room is supposed to be in Detroit...'

"What is going on...?!"


	2. Revival

In a way, Yuuri had tried to forget about Detroit and his college years. It had been a difficult point of his life and a personal low in his skating career. His beloved dog had died, he'd been away from home for years, and had embarrassingly failed the Grand Prix Final, ending up in last place. However this time had also been a significant jumping point for the rest of his life. He had become best friends with Phichit, graduated college, and got to meet his idol and future husband Viktor.

Looking around the room, it was as if nothing had changed. It was a small, single-bed dormitory, with one large window overlooking the college campus. A well-worn wooden desk sat beneath the window and piles of homework and stacked textbooks were neatly organized on top. His bed was pushed up against the adjacent wall and had his suitcase shoved underneath. Next to the bed was a matching dresser and a small white desk lamp sat on top along with pictures of Hasetsu, his family, Yuuko and Takeshi and their three girls, and his beloved poodle Vicchan. The alarm clock, which had rudely awakened him, was plugged into the outlet by his desk and rested next to his laptop. The floor was a light brown wood, and a square blue rug was placed in the space between the bed and his desk. Hanging on the white walls were a couple of posters from when Viktor was young and had long hair, a modest mirror above the dresser, and a poodle calendar across from the desk. Overall, it was a neat albeit plain room that any average college student would have.

How Yuuri got here though was a mystery. He was supposed to be home, in Japan with his beloved, not in America. And what about this person saying that he was going to miss a plane?

It seemed as though Yuuri's mind was running a mile a minute. So he quickly scrambled out of bed and turned to face the mirror.

It was amazing. It was himself, but not the version he had grown to recognize… it was the face of a much younger Yuuri staring back at him. Thick black hair framed his face, replacing old and gray, his brown eyes looked youthful and awake behind his trusty blue glasses, some lingering baby fat that he still hadn't outgrown rested on his cheeks, and his skin appeared smooth and clear. Looking down, his hands were no longer worn and chapped from years of hard work and skating, and his body was lithe yet toned. He was wearing an old blue tee shirt and black and white plaid pajama bottoms. Yuuri continued to stare in awe at his new, or rather old, body, and his mouth hung slightly ajar. Tearing himself away from his image, he ran to the calendar to check the date. It was still December, but of 2015, the year he competed in his first Grand Prix. Today's date was circled in red pen, reading "flight to Sochi, 1 PM departure." It was the day he was leaving for the GPF!

Quickly he checked the clock on his desk. It was already 10:45 in the morning. Had he really slept that much? Considering that the drive to the airport alone takes an hour and once there he needs an additional hour to get through processing, he had only 15 minutes to pack and get ready to leave.

Yuuri began to fly around the room, grabbing his suitcase from beneath his bed, throwing in his toothbrush and toiletries, shirts, pants, jackets, gloves, his skating supplies, and everything else he thought that he'd need.

As he was packing Yuuri grew more and more worried, was his whole life with Viktor really just a dream? Or was he dreaming right now? Will he wake up to find Viktor safe? Or was this some strange punishment in the afterlife?

His thought process was interrupted when the voice from before sounded from behind the door, "Hey Yuuri, I'm coming in!"

It was Phichitto-kun! He was also young, just like back when they were in club together, with his dark hair and eyes, and tan skin.

"Come on Yuuri," he said, "One last picture before you go! I want to show this to everyone when you become famous so that I can say that I'm best friends with Yuuri Katsuki!"

Running up to his friend, Phichit threw his arm around Yuri's shoulders and extended the other out for a selfie. Still shocked, the picture was taken of a blushing and wide-eyed Yuuri and a beaming Phichit.

"This is going up on Instagram right now!" said the Thai skater. "You're all ready right? Celestino is waiting outside in the cab. You'll have to leave soon if you want to be on time."

Still in shock, Yuuri couldn't bring himself to reply. Phichit presence confirmed that he really was in college again. This was real. With this realization Yuuri felt as if couldn't take it any more and began to felt tears well up in his eyes.

'Viktor…. We haven't even met… all those years together, him being my coach, our wedding, winning the Grand Prix… all of it never happened,' thought Yuuri. He slumped down onto his bed, hiding his face with his hands as he began to cry harder.

Worried for his friend, but misinterpreting the reason for him crying, Phichit sat down next to Yuuri.

"Don't worry about it Yuuri," he said tenderly, "you'll skate amazingly, I know it. You've worked so hard and have come so far from when we first started training. I know that you'll do well. Plus you'll get to see Viktor in person, won't that be cool? How about that?"

Unbeknownst to Phichit, the thought of meeting Viktor again tore Yuuri's heart into two and he found himself crying even harder. After a few minutes of crying into his friend's shoulder, Yuuri felt as if he couldn't cry any more and was physically and mentally exhausted. So he slowly rose from the bed and removed his glasses to wipe away and straying tears. His face was flushed and his eyes were red. Phichit stood up next to him and offered to carry his suitcase.

Yuuri responded, sniffling, "No it's okay, really I'm okay Phichitto-kun."

"If you say so," his friend responded, and together the two skaters left the room, closing the door behind them. They walked slowly down the hall, Phichit acting as if Yuuri were a piece of glass about to shatter, but Yuuri never noticed. He was too focused on making it to the car so that he can sit and figure out what was going on. Eventually they made it outside to the street. A taxi was waiting outside with its trunk open for Yuuri's luggage.

Celestino rolled down the car window from his seat in the back saying, "Hey Yuuri, you okay?"

He had noticed the defeated look on the skater's face, a look he was very familiar to when they went to competitions. Celestino knew that the boy had low self-esteem and tended to make mistakes, but he knew that he was also an amazing skater and a determined student. The coach was confident that going to the Grand Prix Finales would prove to his student that he really was a great skater, and would boost his confidence.

Meanwhile, Yuuri turned around to take one last look at the building behind him, knowing that he wouldn't return until after his competition season ended. Phichit gave him one last hug and wished him luck, helping him with getting his stuff into the car.

Yuuri then opened the car door and sat down next to his coach, waving out the window to Phichit as they began to drive away. He then rolled up the window and continued to stare outside at the passing trees and buildings while Celestino talked in the background about their plans once they arrived at the airport.

It was in this moment that Yuuri had accepted his fate and started planning his new life, determined to find Viktor at the GPF and make him fall in love with him all over again.


End file.
